There is no finer teacher of writing than Richard Shelton. His wisdom and elegant use of diction encompass the lives of thousands of student writers over five decades, from Ai (Florence Haines) to Linda Ronstadt, back then a bright, chubby teenager who showed up barefooted to class. Richard and Lois brought Poetry to Tucson, with the support of Ruth Stephan. Kinnell, Merwin, Linda Pastan, Allen Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, Mark Strand, Paul Zimmer, Diane Wakowski, Robert Frost, Leslie Silko, Richard Wright and hundreds of other poets came to the University of Arizona, under the aegis of the Ruth Stephan Poetry Center, under the Directorship of the magnificent, charming and brilliant Lois Shelton.

Richard's books, both poetry and prose, have inspired and continue to inspire so many. Each word having weight and meaning, well-thoughtout, measured, revised and ultimately brilliant. Great to note his most recent accomplishment, NOBODY RICH OR FAMOUS, a phrase taken from a poem about his father in THE TATTOOED DESERT. Like the desert he lives in, Richard Shelton survives, and through his decades of compassion and dedication, he has made the difference in hundreds of lives, forcing humanity, without thinking about consequences, in the right direction.... into the light.

Bernal's photography is both brilliant and immediately touching.
Simmons-Myers, herself an extraordinary photographer, extends herself unconditionally to others in her field. I remember her work to organize and present an international auction of photographs to assist the Bernal family during his long illness.

I'm so grateful that this photography has been rediscovered and so lovingly cared for by this group of people. I grew up hearing about Louie and also Lupe and Memo and the Quinones family. I've only meet these family members a few times if at all. I'm lucky, my mom (Francisca) tells stories from that time and reanimates those memories for me. My mother talked about Louie and his important photography for years, as they both lived in Douglas, and then later Phoenix. The line in the story about the thirteen year old girl later being deported twenty-six years later made me weep unexpectedly. It's so important to tell the true cost of our produce here in Estados Unidos. I'm proud to be kin to the man who shone a beautiful light into the homes of the immigrants (And in some cases, my very own family members!). My auntie sent a link, and I can barely wait to call my mom and talk about this article together. After so many years it's bittersweet. I don't know if I can make it to Douglas, but I encourage everyone to see this show.

First of all, I'm a fan of Bernal's photography. So for those of you who have not seen his pictures, take the effort to do so. The problem is that we might not get to see them again anytime soon.
To spend three years as is stated in the article to get the exhibit ready is a signal of the issue here. Photography is a visual medium, digital or film. For others, it an entity or object that needs to be protected almost at all costs. Restricting access to the object is part of the ritual. As an avid photographer, I find the activities of archivists peculiar, almost like packratting, or acting like one of those peculiar neighbors who fills their house with junk. While taking care of photographs, especially those on film, is a procedure that requires training and skill, the overall behavior, acting like exposure to light or actually letting humans looks at the pictures as if it is some kind of religious ritual that can only take place when the planets are in a certain alignment, strikes me as absurd and outdated. Bernal's pictures can be easily scanned and placed online where we can all enjoy them all of the time. It shouldn't be a pilgrimage for the benefit of a few.